This has long been standard for cars and motorbikes: With its new e-bike ABS (anti-lock braking system) now also scores points on sporty e-mountainbikes. You no longer need to worry about rolling over, as the front wheel can no longer slip when travelling straight ahead. This makes it possible to bring your body weight forwards in any situation, no matter how hairy, so that you can brake efficiently and pull out all the stops in terms of riding technique. Nevertheless, the Bosch engineers have managed to keep the set-up sporty. In bends, the rear wheel can be turned or even a few metres rolling on the front wheel - no problem with the ABS.
The individual components of the Bosch E-Bike ABS
All the technology that weighs several kilos on a car fits into a small box on an e-MTB that clamps onto the suspension fork. Impressive: the control unit weighs just 227 grams, and the surcharge for new bikes with ABS is said to be in the region of 500 euros. This means that this ABS is light, unobtrusive and cheap enough to be of interest to a wide range of bikers for the first time. For the Swabian connection Bosch-Magura, this is already the second generation of an ABS system for e-bikes. However, the predecessor was clunky and not intended for off-road use. This is set to change with the new generation. The system promises real advantages even on trails. Incidentally, the ABS only controls the front. This keeps the technology compact, and braking at the rear is much less likely to lead to dangerous situations and crashes anyway.
The ABS brake itself is based on the familiar Magura four-piston caliper, which is also used in the Magura MT5 disc brake is used. To make it ABS-compatible, Magura has designed a new brake lever that works with a larger oil volume. This is necessary to ensure that the ABS system functions correctly. The remaining components, from the sensors on the brake discs to the controller itself, come from Bosch.
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PART 3: EXPERT (from 11 October)
